Combined refrigerant purifier and control apparatus



J. F'.- WENKLER COMBINED REFRIGERANT PURIFIER Emme 27, B95

AND CONTROL APPARATUS Filed oct. 3, 194e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JoSEPH F' WIV/L fR Jim@ 27 i950 J. F. 25H55 Y comlmsn REFRIGERANT PURIFIER AND coN'rRoL APPARATUS Filed Oc'c. 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. Jose-PH E' DVM/LER Patented June 27, 1950 COMBINED REFRIGERANT PUR'IFIER AND CONTROL APPARATUS Joseph F. Winkler, Philadelphia, Pa.; Alma Stamberger Winkler, jexecutrix of said Joseph F. Winkler, deceased, assigner to Winkler, Morgenthaler, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation `oi Pennsylvania Application October 3, 1946, Serial No. 701,034

9 Claims. (Cl. (i2- 127) My invention relates to a combined refrigerant purifier and control apparatus adapted to be used in connection with refrigerating systems for the purpose of purifying the refrigerant which circulates in such systems and for otherwise aiecting or modifying the operation of the refrigerating system.

One object of the invention is to produce an improved refrigerant purifier and control apparatus of the type set forth.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved refrigerant purier and control apparatus which can be used with almost any type of refrigerating apparatus without in any way modifying the structure of such apparatus, and which can be incorporated in such apparatus by merely cutting it into the lines which connect the compressor with the evaporator.

A still further object is to produce an irnproved refrigerant purier and control apparatus which will automatically purge foreign or non-condensing gases, which will remove any lubricant that may be carried with the gas and will return such lubricant to the compressor, and which will effectively remove any moisture which may be carried by the refrigerant gas.

A still further object is to-produce an improved refrigerant puriiier and control apparatus which will prevent any liquid refrigerant from reaching the compressor so as to avoid the-damage which usually results when a slug of liquid refrigerant happens to reach one of the cylinders of the compressor.

A still further object of the invention is to produce an .improved refrigerant purifier and control apparatus which is simple in construction, so that it has no parts to go out of order,` which is automatic in operation and which is inexpensive to Ymake and install.

A still further object is to produce an improved refrigerant conditioner which may be used as a means of heat storage for thawing ice from low temperature evaporators by the use of hot compressed refrigerant gas; the thawing being accomplished periodically and automatically by'suitable controls.

These and other objects are attained by the invention as set forth in the following specication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a conventional refrigerating -apparatus provided with my improved conditioner.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical' sectional View of frigerant receiver and an evaporator or expat?.

sion coil, the compressor shown being of the selfcontained, hermetically-sealed type `and the evaporator being of they direct expansion type.

In a conventional refrigerating apparatus of this type, one end of the evaporator is connected to the low pressure or intake side of the compressor, one end of the condenser is connected to the discharge or `high pressure side of the compressor and the other end of the condenser is connected, with or Without an intervening expansion device to the other end of the evaporator. According to my invention, the improved conditioner is interposed between the compressor on one side and the condenser and evaporator on the other.

As shown, ymy improved conditioner includes a receptacle I2, having a jacket I4 which yforms a chamber I6 surrounding the receptacle I2. In?

the lower portion o f the receptacle I2 is a coil 'I8 the upper end of which is connected by a pipe, 20 to the liquid refrigerant receiver and the lowabuts and closes the lower end of an outlet `pipe y 26, which, according to one embodiment of the l invention, can be connected through a passage 28, directly to the pipe 30 leading to the intake side of the compressor, as indicated by the are` rows 3|.

The discharge side of the compressor is connected to the conditioner by a pipe 32- so as to deliver the compressed refrigerant to the lower end of the chamber I 6, as indicated' by the arrows 33. From a portion'of the chamber I6 abovel the coil I-B, a pipe 34 conducts the compressed gasl to the condenser, as shown by the arrows 35.-

The refrigerant liquefied in the condenser col-- lects in the receiver, fromwhich lit flows, through The liquid refrigerant thus ilows'..

The non-condensing Operation of the structure thus far set forth will now be described, it being assumed thatl the pipe 26 is connected, by the,'passage,28,y directly to the pipe 30 which leads tothe intake side of the compressor` When the compressor is put in operation, it draws evaporated refrigerant from the expansion coil, through the pipe 38, passage 28, receptaclel I2 andpipe 36. The low pressure, relatively cool evaporated refrigerant is compressed and delivered to the condenser through the pipe 32, the chamber I6 and the pipe l34. The'liqueed refrigerant ,collects in the receiver and flows through the pipe 28, into the coil I 8, and from the coil I8, through the pipe 22, to` theexpansion 'coil or evaporator.

By thisjmeans, the hot compressed gas and the liqueed refrigerant, 'in iiowing .through the chamber IS and through the coil I8, respectively, are brought into contact with .the relatively cold low pressure gas flowing through the receptacle I2 and with any liquid refrigerant which may be drawn into the receptacle I2 from the evaporator. This arrangement serves to cool the hot vrefrigerant* gas and the liquidrefrigerant, and thus increases efficiency, and it alsoserves to evaporatel such liquid refrigerant as may` reach the receptacle I2 so as to prevent liquid refrigerant from reaching the compressor.

During the passage of the compressed refrigerant through the chamber lli, and when the refrigerant gas is heavier than'the ncn-condensable gases, the non-condensable gases will rise to the top of thevchamber IB andwill flow through the pipe 38 to the foreign gas eliminator to be `automatically purged off. The refrigerant gas flows to ,the 'condenser through pipe 34.

If, because of operating at llow temperatures, or if for other reasons, a large'amount of liquid refifigerant should collect in the receptacle I2, the ball 2,4 or other iioat mechanism will rise andwill close the lower end of the duct 26, toprevent liquid refrigerant from reaching the intake side of the compressor.

During the `passage of,l the refrigerant gas through the compressor, the refrigerant gas is brought into contact Withthe lubricant and particles of lubricant are entrained in the refrigerant. As the refrigerant iiows through the receptacle I2 and through the chamber IB, the lubricant separates and is'drained through the pipes 40 and 42 into the receptacle 43, vfrom which it is returned tothe compressor through the pipe 44'. The receiver 43 is available on the market and therefore need not be shown nor described in detail. It is sufficient to state that this receiver is normally closed and that` it opens only when a -predetermined quantity of oil is present. The relatively small quantities of refrigerant which pass lbaci: to the crank case of the compressor on opening of the receiver 43 do vnot materially affect the operation of the apparatus. g

The structure thus Yfar described constitutes va complete and operative device which can be used successfully in almost any type of refrigerating systems. However, if it is desired, under certain circumstances, to provide means for drying or otherwise treating the refrigerant, I provide another receptacle 58 which is' interposed between the passage 28 leading fromthe receptacle I2 and the pipe 30 leading to the compressor. The receptacle 58 is provided with a pendant conduit 52,

the upper end of which is connected to the passage 28 and the lower end of which is open and disposed near the bottom of the receptacle 58. The receptacle 58 is nlled to the desired extent with any desired desiccating or purifying medium 54. A bottom valve controlled outlet 56 is provided fordraining the medium 54, and verticallyspaced side'cocks 58 may be provided for indicating and for controlling the level of the medium in the receptacle 58.

As will be clearly seenfrom Fig. 1, the evaporated refrigerant moving from the receptacle I2 to the compressor will' now travel throughvthe passage 28 and the 'pipe 52, and will bubble upwardly into the upper portion 5S of the receptacle 5t, from which the evaporated refrigerant is switch 62:1: which is closed by plunger 68.

` conducted by the pipe 38 into the compressor.

The purifying and/or desiccating receptacle 5G may or may not be incorporated in the system. as indicated by the nature of the refrigerant or by other attendant circumstances.

In order to stopwthe flow of refrigerant to the evaporator when the level of liquidrefrigerant in the casing I2 reaches' a predetermined point, I

provide a plunger 38 which normally occupies av lower position and which, when raised to a predetermined point by the rise of the ball 24 will, close a valve El on the line 20 which connects the receiver to theevaporator. The valve 8l may be operated by a solenoid and, in that event, it will be connected, by wires 52 to a normally open The switch 62x is connected to a source of electric current in the usual Way. If desired, a `iioat, op-

erating independently of the ball 24, may be used.

Alternately, means canbe provided which, in

thereof, so as to permit the refrigerant to be` drawn oi slowly by the compressor. The size of the hole E3 is such that, if any liquid refrigerant is drawn through it, the amount of such refrigerant will be so small that it will be evaporated before it reaches the compressor.

In order to provide for defrosting of a low temperature evaporator, va valve 64 is cut into' the pipe 34 and the pipe 34 lis connected to the line 22 which leads from the coil I 8 to the evaporator.

By this arrangement when the valve `64 is open,

the hot refrigerant gas which iiows from the chamber I6 into the pipe 34, instead of continuing on to the refrigerant condenser, will be partly diverted to the evaporator. After coming into contact with the cold surfaces of the evaporator,

and being cooled or condensed Vwhile the evaporator is defrosted, the refrigerant flows through pipe 38, as indicated by arrows 31, 'and into the receptacle I2. i 1

Since there always s'hot discharge vgas lin the chamber I6, any liquid reaching the receptacle I2 will evaporate upon contact with the walls of the receptacle and will return to the compressor in the form of a gas as previously described.

If there should be an overfiooding of liquid into the chamber I2, the float 24 will protect the compressor, as previously described.

When the defrosting operation is complete, the valve 64 is closed, and the normal refrigeration cycle will again take place.

The defrosting operation and the operation of the valve 64 may be effected manually or automatically, as desired.

If very rapid defrosting of a low temperature evaporator is desired, a heated jacket B6, which will use steam, electricity, hot water, or any other source of heat, may be superimposed upon the outer shell I4 or may be placed in the chamber I6 itself. The jacket is used as a means of superheating the compressed refrigerant gas, and will greatly hasten the defrosting of the evaporator.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, a conditioner including a first casing, a second casing disposed in heat transfer relation to said first casing, means conducting low temperature refrigerant from said evaporator to said first casing, means conducting refrigerant gas from said first casing to the intake side of said compressor, means conducting high temperature compressed gas from the discharge side of said compressor to said second casing, means conducting said high temperature gas from said second casing to said condenser, a non-condensing gas eliminator, and means connecting said second casing with said eliminator for removing non-condensing gases.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 together with means for conducting oil precipitated from the refrigerant in either of said casings back into the compressor.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 together with means responsive to the presence of liquid in said rst casing for stopping the flow of refrigerant into said evaporator when the liquid in said first casing has reached a predetermined level.

4. A refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, a conditioner including a first vertical casing, a conduit depending into the upper position of said rst casing, a second casing disposed in heat transfer relation to said first casing, means conducting low temperature refrigerant from said evaporator to said first casing, means connecting said conduit to the intake side of said compressor for conducting refrigerant gas from said rst casing to said compressor, a buoyant ball in said rst casing adapted, when liquid is present in said first casing, to rise and close said conduit to interrupt communication between the intake side of said compressor and the interior of said first casing, means conducting high temperature compressed gas from the discharge side of said compressor to said second casing, and means conductw ing said high temperature gas from said second casing to said condenser.

5. A refrigerating apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, a conditioner including a first casing, a second casing disposed in heat transfer relation to said first casing, means conducting low temperature refrigerant from said evaporator to said rst casing,

means conducting refrigerant gas from said iirst casing to the intake side of said compressor, means conducting high temperature compressed gas from the discharge side of said compressor to said second casing, means conducting said high temperature gas from said second casing to said condenser, a receiver for collecting refrigerant liquefied in said condenser, conduit means connecting said receiver with said evaporator, means responsive to the presence of a predetermined amount of liquid in said first casing for preventing ow of refrigerant from said receiver to said evaporator.

6. The structure recited in claim 4 in which a relatively small hole is provided in a wall of said conduit and at all times connecting the interior of said first casing with the intake side of the compressor for permitting gradual movement of refrigerant from the interior of said rst casing to said compressor regardless of the position of said ball.

7. A refrigerant purifier and control device ncluding an inner receptacle and an outer receptacle forming a chamber there between, there being a first opening, formed in the wall of said outer receptacle and leading into said chamber, for admitting the end of a pipe leading to the intake side of a, refrigerant condenser, an evaporator a coil in said inner receptacle with one end of said coil connected to the discharge side of said condenser and with the other end of said coil leading to intake side of said evaporator, a pipe leading from the discharge side of said evapo rator to said inner receptacle, a compressor a wall structure defining a passage leading from the upper portion of said inner receptacle to the intake side of said compressor, means in said inner receptacle operable, when the level of liquid refrigerant in said inner receptacle rises to a predetermined level, to close the end of said passage which leads from said inner receptacle, to prevent the ow of liquid refrigerant into the compressor, and means also operable by the rise of the liquid to a predetermined level in said inner receptacle, to stop the ow of refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator.

8. The structure recited in claim 7 in which an opening is formed in the wall of said passage above said end thereof to permit evaporated refrigerant to pass from the said inner receptacle to said compressor while said end of said passage is closed.

9. The structure recited in claim 'l together with a refrigerant purifier interposed between said inner receptacle and the intake side of said compressor, and means for causing the refrigerant to pass through said purifier before reaching said compressor.

' JOSEPH F. WINKLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

